The Best Stocks to Invest $5,000 In Right Now

With the S&P 500 reaching all-time highs, you want to make sure you're investing in well-priced stocks that still have room to run. It can be easy to get swept up in bull run mania, especially with the attraction of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.

Some of the best opportunities are stocks that are down due to short-term headwinds but have solid long-term potential. You should also be sure to have some reliable anchor stocks to balance out high-growth stocks.

If you have $5,000 to invest today (or any other amount, really), I recommend MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI), Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS), and Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT).

Image source: Getty Images.

1. MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre is an e-commerce and fintech powerhouse serving 18 Latin American countries and growing by leaps and bounds. It consistently reports high revenue increases, and it has a massive long-term opportunity.

Latin America as a region lags behind other developed regions in both e-commerce and digital financial services, which is why this opportunity looks so compelling. MercadoLibre has identified many ways to improve its value proposition and attract more people to its platforms, and it's working.

In e-commerce, it recently lowered its shipping threshold in Brazil, leading to multiple positive effects, including a 38% year-over-year increase in gross merchandise volume in the first quarter and a 56% increase in items sold, double the rate before the change. The company is looking to replicate this success in other countries. However, it's coming at a cost, and it's negatively impacting the bottom line.

Similarly, the credit business continues to expand, with assets under management increasing 77% while the total credit portfolio rose 87%. New cohorts typically have lower margins, which is also negatively impacting the bottom line.

The market wasn't thrilled with the profit declines over the past two quarters, and MercadoLibre stock is down 38% over the past year. Management is confident that the investments it's making today to expand the business will set it up for future success, which is why MercadoLibre's stock looks like a bargain today.

2. Dutch Bros

Dutch Bros is a small but growing coffee shop chain that has developed a distinctive model and culture, and it's resonating with customers as it expands across the country.

As of the end of the 2026 first quarter, Dutch Bros has 1,177 stores in 25 states. That's up from about 500 stores in 11 states when it went public five years ago.

Dutch Bros has plans to reach 2,029 stores by 2029 and 7,000 long term, and it looks like it can get there. Its stores are being built to meet today's consumer, with most of them offering drive-thru only. It's focused on speed and friendly customer service, and "broistas" go out to take orders from customers in cars to be ready when they get to the window. The company recently rolled out mobile ordering across the enterprise, which accounted for 15% of total sales in the first quarter.

Dutch Bros is also rolling out a new, expanded menu to boost beverage sales and create its own revenue stream, and it's constantly launching innovative beverages to entice its consumer base, such as the new Myst energy refresher line.

Revenue growth accelerated to 31% year over year in the first quarter, and profits are growing as well. However, the stock is down 27% over the past year. The market is worried about continued consumer spending in the high-inflation environment, but those are short-term concerns, not actualities, which makes Dutch Bros look like a great stock to buy now.

3. Walmart

Walmart is the anchor stock here, a solid company that continues to grow and engage its audience, shifting with the times to stay relevant in a changing retail landscape. In fact, its e-commerce business has been thriving, growing from a 6.7% market share in 2024 to 9.2% today, according to Statista. Walmart is now the second-largest e-commerce business behind Amazon. E-commerce sales increased 24% year over year in the 2026 fiscal fourth quarter globally.

The e-commerce business has opened the company up to a much larger market, including an affluent contingent that might not frequent its stores, and these customers have driven much of the company's recent growth. Walmart is also featuring more in-store merchandise to appeal to these customers.

Walmart is also becoming more Amazon-like with advertising, streaming, and healthcare businesses. All of these create more revenue streams and deepen its moat.

Walmart is a Dividend King, having raised its dividend for more than 50 years straight. This year marked the 53rd consecutive year of increases, and Walmart is a reliable source of passive income. It's also beating the market.

Jennifer Saibil has positions in Dutch Bros, MercadoLibre, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Dutch Bros, MercadoLibre, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.